1. Field
The present invention relates, generally, to material forming systems, apparatus and processes. More particularly, the invention relates to a swaging system, apparatus and method. Most particularly, the invention relates to a system, apparatus and method for swaging one or more articles such as marker bands at precise locations on a tubular structure such as a medical catheter. The techniques of the invention can also be used in other fields such as tube joining, cable joining, sealing, bullet manufacturing, and other medical, industrial, commercial apparatus and processes.
2. Background Information
Swaging is a forming process for use with hollow or solid material or articles, particularly metallic material or articles. Examples of hollow material or articles include tubes, casings, catheters, needles and the like. Examples of solid materials include rods, bars and wires. Swaging is commonly used to reduce or increase the diameter of material or articles, to create particular geometric shapes or profiles of material or articles, to join or fasten material or articles, or to seal or finish material or articles. Swaging is typically accomplished by placing material or articles, most commonly tubes, rods, bars or wires, inside a die that applies compressive force. Typically, the force is applied by radially hammering. The radial hammering may be accompanied by rotating the die or the workpiece. Additionally, a mandrel may be placed inside articles such as tubes during compression. The inner and outer diameters of the material or articles may be of the same or differing shapes. Swaging is typically conducted cold, or at room temperature, but may be conducted hot. Swaging may be accomplished by a rotary process, a stationary spindle process, or a die closing process. Other known forming processes include crimping and pointing.
Examples of existing swaging technology includes a rotary swager provided by Torrington Swaging and Vaill End Forming Machinery. Inc. of Waterbury, Conn. The rotary swager has a motorized spindle which is slotted, in order to hold backers and the dies. The spindle passes the backers over the rollers to deliver a blow to the dies. In this rotary swaging process, a swaging head is fixed. The dies close over a work piece and form the material. When the backers are in-between two roll positions, the centrifugal forces will move them apart, making it possible for the die to open, while the dies are rotating around the workpiece. The operation continues several times and the result is a reduced round cross section of tube, bar or wire.
A stationary spindle swager, also provided by Torrington Swager has a spindle and dies which are fixed. They do not rotate around the workpiece. Instead, the head rotates. This type of machine is used to obtain cross-sectioned shapes other than round, such as triangular, square, polygonal.
A die closing swage, further provided by Torrington Swager has dies which are moved radially by a die closing device and by backers while the operation is being performed. A spindle is motorized and rotating. This type of machine is used to obtain grooves or recesses for short step transition angles or for assembly of large parts on cables or rods without having to remove the dies between operations.
Numerous medical devices exist for accessing and working within the vasculature and other internal systems of humans and other animals for minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Examples of such devices include introducers, guidewires, catheters, and stents. They are typically thin, elongated structures which are inserted into arteries, veins, or body cavities through small punctures in the skin. After initial insertion, the insertable medical devices, and in particular certain portions or aspects of the devices such as balloons, blades, tips, drug delivery systems, are guided to desired locations in the body, such as the heart or other organs, by radioscopic or flouroscopic visualization. In such visualization processes, a medical practitioner views the medical device or a portion thereof in the body through a screen or other monitoring device. Visualization is enhanced or even made possible by a radiopaque marker, typically a band or series of bands of a predetermined geometry and disposed at a predetermined position(s) on the insertable medical device or portion thereof. Marker bands have been placed on insertable medical devices by existing swaging devices and processes.
Existing technology is believed to have limitations and shortcomings. For these and other reasons, a need exists for the present invention.
All US patents and patent applications, and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.